Before we start in on this disclosure business, we want to tell you that we only talk about stuff we really like. Blogging started out that way, remember? Everyone wrote posts about the things they loved, and we all got to bond and bitch together. Then things changed, blogging became a business – and no one works for free.
So we’re here to tell you that no matter what we’re writing about, we’ve vetted it first. We don’t review products we haven’t tried (or ones that don’t live up to our standards) and we don’t link to products we wouldn’t buy.
Reviews, Giveaways, & Dedicated Posts
Whenever you see a product review or giveaway, you’ll also see a note as to how we got that product: either a company generously provided us with items from their line (in hopes that we’d like and talk about them) or we picked them up on our own shopping adventures specifically so we could give them to you.
If you see the word “Dedicated” in the title of a post, then the company we’re featuring has paid us to write a post about them. We don’t work with just anyone: when we make a Dedicated post, we’re telling you that we would shop at the store we’re posting about. The bonus is that they are willing to “shop at our store” too!
Sidebar Ads
If you look to the sidebar of our website, you’ll see images and text links from our advertisers. You may never have noticed them before, because we don’t use creepy sound-filled or blinky obnoxious ads, but they’ve always been there. We love our advertisers, because by and large, they’re people and companies we already shop with – or at least have a great respect for. We get paid a flat fee to put their links on our sidebar (not “per click”) but we still recommend that you check them out when you get a chance. They’re great, and they support bloggers like us!
Affiliate Links
We have created accounts with a few affiliate advertising websites. Here’s how affiliate advertising works: when we’re writing a post, we’ll hunt around for products we like. (Oooh, pretty dress. Oooh, another pretty dress.) Before we hit “post,” we check these affiliate sites to see if they have a link to the products we’re posting about. If they do, we’ll use their links in our posts.
What that means for you: Nothing special. You’ll be taken to the website the product is listed on, to buy it or not buy it. If you like it, neat! If you like other things on the website, also neat! If you accidentally clicked the product link and close the window immediately, or if you never click anything, that’s okay too!
What it means for us: Some affiliate sites track how many people click their product links, and some track how many people buy something after they click a product link. We get compensated either “per click” or “per purchase.” It’s a way for us to make a little extra money doing what we love…which means we’re that much closer to doing it full-time (which means we can find even more stuff to tell you about). Please know, though, that we’ll never post about something just because we can “link it.” That would be no fun for us anyway – what’s the fun in talking about stuff you don’t like? – and really unfair to you guys.
In Short
When we love something and we can make money talking about it, we aren’t going to argue against it. But we promise to never, ever post about something we don’t love for the sake of money. We’ve turned down advertisers before because they didn’t fit with our style, our mission, and our aesthetic, and we will again.
If you have any questions about our advertising policies, or if you’d like to advertise with us, please contact us directly. And if you’re down with our funding practices, please utilize them by interacting with our advertisers and links to the products we post. Thanks!